High School Senior Ethan Young Resists Common Core

“We teach to free minds.” Has anyone ever stated the purpose of education more succinctly? It is certainly not kind of declaration likely to be heard in any teacher-training institution.

The words were those of Ethan Young, a high-school senior in Knoxville, TN, who mustered the courage to take the allotted five minutes and critique the Common Core national standards before his local school board and administration. So brilliantly did Young expose Common Core as a killer of innovation and individualism that a video of his November 6 presentation already has had more than 1.4 million “views” on YouTube.

Robert Holland, a journalist and author who has championed school choice throughout his career, is a Heartland Institute Senior Fellow addressing education policy. His book on teacher preparation, To Build a Better Teacher: The Emergence of a Competitive Education Industry, was published by Praeger Paperbacks in 2004. During his 1992-99 tenure as op-ed page editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch Holland also wrote an award-winning column on education-related topics. His 1995 book, Not With My Child, You Don't, examined the parents' revolt against national school restructuring.

As of this morning, the number of “views” for Ethan Young’s takedown of the Common Core is up to 1,765,472. This viral phenomenon shows the intense interest of folks across the country in the deleterious effect this elitist power grab will have on education if it is not halted.

jomisan

Let’s nominate Ethan Young as the future secretary of education. He has what it takes to solve our educational crisis. If he isn’t capable of improving our education system, at least he is popular. Who can tell me what the secretary of education is? You see..most of you don’t know…why because our current secretary of education isn’t a star on youtube! Long life Ethan Young!

Greedy Rob

“Why won’t you just change your stripes?,” he asked the zebra.

Greedy Rob

“Why won’t you just change your stripes?,” he asked the zebra.

Jody Perkins

wow is all i can say applause
to this kid!!!!

SimJim

I’ll take the elimination of Common Core any way we can get it.

The biggest problem with Common Core is everyone being taught one curriculum. The result is that every mistake will be multiplied by every kid. Common Core curriculum has not survived an educational market place. It was devised by a roomful of eggheads thinking they know more than anyone else and therefore whatever they decide is what all students should learn.

I don’t mind testing at all. I don’t mind rating teachers based on testing. Common Core is not the way to it. It’s passed no tests of its own.

jomisan

I agree it common core doesn’t solve our educational problems. At least it will be good for multiplying problems many times over. It will be like learning the multiplication tables up to 30,000,0000. Which is the number of students who will have problems after taking common core. Common core is like hard core!

elmofuddleputt

Common core…So The Man can control what all your children are taught. Period.

jomisan

I think Ethan Young should be in charge of creating a curriculum for the students of our great nation. He really knows what he is talking about so who agrees with me that he should be nominated as the next Department of Education secretary? I hope I’m not going to far with this, but if you agree with what he has to say, you have to agree that he knows more than anyone proposing that common core is the solution to our educational problems. Right? Right? Am I right?